A synchronous control program for controlling driving of a multi-axis synchronous control device is generated in a one-to-one relationship with each of a plurality of axes on which the multi-axis synchronous control device executes positioning control. When the multi-axis synchronous control device is assumed to include two or more sets of a configuration in which one servo amplifier controls one servo motor arranged for one axis, in this multi-axis synchronous control device, the servo amplifier for each axis controls driving of its corresponding servo motor (that is, the axis) according to a control signal of the corresponding synchronous control program, thereby realizing positioning control on the axis.
This synchronous control program is constituted by a plurality of software modules in which various parameters are set for the corresponding axis. One of the software modules is a driving software module that generates and outputs reference position information for synchronization of the axes on which the multi-axis synchronous control device executes positioning control.
The multi-axis synchronous control device is configured such that, upon executing positioning control on the axes according to the respective synchronous control programs that individually control the axes, when the settings of the driving software modules are the same as each other in the respective synchronous control programs that individually control each of the axes, the multi-axis synchronous control device executes positioning control on the axes while synchronizing the axes with each other.
Meanwhile, in a case where each of the synchronous control programs, which are in the process of controlling driving of the multi-axis synchronous control device, is displayed on a display screen of a display device, each of the software modules that constitute the synchronous control program is displayed with a distinction between operating and non-operating at a predetermined display position on the display screen, in order for a user to easily understand the operation image and to check the program configuration.
In this display method, in a case where there are a plurality of synchronous control programs in which the settings of their respective driving software modules are the same as each other, the multi-axis synchronous control device operates so as to execute positioning control while synchronizing the synchronous control programs with each other using one of the driving software modules as a main axis. However, the synchronous control programs in which the settings of their respective driving software modules are the same as each other are displayed axis by axis, that is, program by program.